Lazer’s Revolution FF might be taking the limelight currently, but the Belgian company also produces some other cracking helmets. Enter the Lazer Ultrax. This mid-priced trail helmet might creep under the radar but it has some great features to make it well worth considering.

Fluoro orange and camo really stands out!

You can’t miss the Ultrax in its most popular colour schemes; matt black and grey camo is mixed up with fluoro accents. The orange particularly stands out bookending the front and rear of the helmet.

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Ventilation and coverage

Lazer has used a more open, XC-esque format with 23 large vents to suck in and spit out the air. It certainly is cooler to wear than more enclosed helmets such as the Giro Montaro. The downside to this is that coverage is not as complete as other, more robust designs like the aforementioned Giro or Lazer’s own Revolution FF. It is certainly better than a pure XC race helmet though, and will definitely suit burlier trail riders looking for a lighter helmet, especially for the warmer summer months.

Retention

Lazer uses its Advanced TurnFit System (ATS) to adjust retention. This uses a simple, large diameter dial to make secure adjustments. The dial is easy to find and the rubberised bezel is easy to use with gloves. The adjustment cradle adjusts to fit differing head shapes whilst the simple, five pad cushioning is very comfortable. The weight is very acceptable compared to other similar trail helmets but our sample weighed ten percent over Lazer’s claimed weight for a medium sized Ultrax.

ATS adjustment system (and cheesy slogan)

Peak issues

The only gripe about the Lazer Ultrax is the peak, in particular the fiddly and minimal adjustment system. A sprung loaded button under the peak needs depressing before being able to change the position. This is very fiddly unless you have really thin fingers. If knocked it out of position it is easy to lose the little spring that holds the peak in place, and if you lose this, the peak rattles infuriatingly. I would also like to see the range of positions increased to get it out of the way when needed.

Infuriating peak adjustment

It does look unobtrusive (apart from the bright colour) when worn and should suit a range of head shapes.